Aeroplan has long dominated the airline loyalty space in Canada since it offers the most co-branded credit cards in the market. It’s also accessible through transferable points programs on both sides of the border, making it a popular program for Americans, too.
In the past few years, Air France KLM Flying Blue has been making its presence known to North Americans, with its competitive award pricing, co-branded credit cards, and access through transferable points programs in Canada and the United States.
In this edition of Head-to-Head, we’ll pit Aeroplan and Flying Blue against each other, weighing out the respective strengths and weaknesses, with a particular focus on transatlantic redemptions.
1. Points Valuation
Whenever we compare different loyalty programs, it’s useful to first establish an estimated value of the points .
At present, we value Aeroplan points at 2.1 cents per point (CAD) or 1.6 cents per point (USD). This value is calculated based on the relative ease of earning Aeroplan points, the vast number of partners available in the program, the generous stopover policy , and more.
We have a high value for Aeroplan points based on their flexibility and ease of earning
Meanwhile, we currently value Flying Blue miles at 2 cents per mile (CAD) or 1.5 cents per mile (USD) – a value that has increased in the recent past.
The program’s strengths lie in its competitive transatlantic award pricing , the lucrative monthly Promo Rewards , the generous stopover policy , adding First Class partner redemptions , and easy access to unique destinations, such as Mauritius and French Polynesia.
Verdict: Based solely on our valuation, Aeroplan comes out ahead by a slight margin. However, it’s worth noting that our valuation of Flying Blue miles has been trending upwards as of late, while our value of Aeroplan points has remained steady for quite some time.
2. Ease of Earning Points
For the next point of comparison, we’ll take a look at how easy it is to earn Aeroplan points and Flying Blue miles through credit cards.
In Canada, Aeroplan has a host of co-branded credit cards available from TD , CIBC , and American Express . It also offers the US-issued Chase Aeroplan Card , which is a very competitive product.
Aeroplan Credit Cards
Credit Card
Best Offer
Value
American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card
American Express Aeroplan Reserve Card
85,000 Aeroplan points
$599 annual fee
85,000 Aeroplan points
$927
Apply Now
American Express Aeroplan Card
American Express Aeroplan Card
45,000 Aeroplan points
$120 annual fee
45,000 Aeroplan points
$720
Apply Now
American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card
American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card
Up to 95,000 Aeroplan points
$599 annual fee
Up to 95,000 Aeroplan points
$1,147
Apply Now
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
Up to 50,000 Aeroplan points†
$139 annual fee
Up to 50,000 Aeroplan points†
$617
Apply Now
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Platinum* Card
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Platinum* Card
Up to 20,000 Aeroplan points†
$89 annual fee
Up to 20,000 Aeroplan points†
$434
Apply Now
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
Up to 85,000 Aeroplan points†
$599 annual fee
Up to 85,000 Aeroplan points†
$924
Apply Now
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Privilege* Card
70,000 Aeroplan points
$599 annual fee
70,000 Aeroplan points
$399
Apply Now
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa* Business Card
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa* Business Card
Up to 60,000 Aeroplan points†
First Year Free
Up to 60,000 Aeroplan points†
$714
Apply Now
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
Up to 50,000 Aeroplan points†
First Year Free
Up to 50,000 Aeroplan points†
$609
Apply Now
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa* Card
CIBC Aeroplan® Visa* Card
10,000 Aeroplan points†
$0 annual fee
10,000 Aeroplan points†
$210
Apply Now
In addition to co-branded cards, Aeroplan is a 1:1 transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards , which is the most valuable and flexible credit card rewards programs in Canada.
In the US, Aeroplan is also a transfer partner of American Express US Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards , Capital One Miles, and Chase Ultimate Rewards at a 1:1 ratio, which also happen to be the most popular credit card rewards programs in the US.
When it comes to earning Air France KLM Flying Blue miles, your ease of access depends on which side of the border you live.
In Canada, you can earn Flying Blue miles directly with the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard – Canada’s only Air France KLM co-branded credit card.
Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard
Apply Now
Learn More
First-Year Value: $0
Get 60 XP in the first year
Plus, earn 30 XP in subsequent years
Earn up to 30x Flying Blue miles per dollar spent with select merchants
Earn 5x Flying Blue miles per euro spent on Air France KLM flights
Earn 2x Flying Blue miles per dollar spent on food and drink
Minimum income: $80,000 personal or $150,000 household
Annual fee: $132 (rebated in the first year)
Flying Blue is also a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards; however, the ratio is less favourable than Aeroplan’s, at 1 MR point = 0.75 Flying Blue miles.
In the US, Bank of America issues the Air France KLM World Elite Mastercard, with which you can earn miles through a welcome bonus and on daily spending.
Flying Blue is also a 1:1 transfer partner of American Express US Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards , and Citi ThankYou Rewards .
Therefore, in Canada, your options for accessing Flying Blue are more limited, while in the United States, there are more opportunities for earning miles through transfer partners.
Verdict: If you live in Canada, it’s much easier to accumulate Aeroplan points through credit cards, since there are much more available. However, in the United States, Flying Blue miles are easier to come by, since it’s a transfer partner with more programs.
When it comes to ease of earning through credit cards, the victor depends on where you live.
3. Redeeming Points
Once you’ve gathered Aeroplan points or Flying Blue miles, the next point of comparison comes in making redemptions.
Aeroplan’s redemption pricing is based on the distance flown, the origin and destination, the class of service, and the airline that you fly with.
Air Canada flights booked with Aeroplan points are subject to dynamic pricing, which means that the price fluctuates up and down, depending on demand and a number of other factors.
On the other hand, partner airlines booked with Aeroplan are subject to fixed pricing, which means that you’ll always pay the same amount of points for the flight, as long as it’s available to be booked with points.
Generally speaking, you’ll know you’re getting a good deal if your Aeroplan booking prices out at the lower end of the dynamic pricing spectrum with Air Canada, or at the fixed partner levels.
For most flights to between North America and Europe, you can expect to pay anywhere from 35,000–80,000 points in economy, 50,000–100,000 points in premium economy , 60,000–200,000 points in business class, or 90,000–225,000 points in First Class. The best deals fall at the lower end of those ranges.
With Aeroplan’s generous routing rules, you can create bespoke itineraries that really maximize the value of your points. While these types of bookings are more for serious aviation enthusiasts and less for the average user, there’s something to be said about the vast possibilities at hand with Aeroplan bookings.
Read More
How to Book Complex Trips with Aeroplan
Air France KLM Flying Blue also uses a form of dynamic pricing on Air France and KLM flights.
For transatlantic flights, the lowest redemption costs for flights with Air France or KLM are as follows:
Economy: 20,000 miles
Premium economy: 35,000 miles
Business class: 50,000 miles
However, it’s worth noting that you can also see prices of double, triple, or even more, depending on the date, which is similar to Air Canada flights booked with Aeroplan points.
As with Aeroplan, these numbers should be used as guidelines as to whether or not you’re getting a great deal – if you can find award flights at or close to these values, you’ll be maximizing your Flying Blue miles.
Air France and KLM offer non-stop flights to Europe from many cities that don’t otherwise enjoy long-haul routes. In Canada, this includes Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, and Quebec City, and in the United States, both Air France and KLM have great coverage.
Fly direct to Europe with KLM using Flying Blue miles
You can also book award flights with SkyTeam-member airlines, including Virgin Atlantic and Delta, using Flying Blue miles, though award availability is pretty scarce and pricing is higher than the baseline cost of Air France and KLM flights.
Verdict: It’s very difficult to declare a clear winner in this category, since the ease of redeeming points depends on so many factors: routes, class of service, award availability, time of year, and more.
Flying Blue has the clear edge when it comes to transatlantic economy and premium economy redemptions, which only get better if you can snag a Promo Reward deal that drops the price even lower.
As it pertains to transatlantic business class award pricing, the baseline redemption cost with Air France KLM Flying Blue is lower than with Aeroplan (50,000 Flying Blue miles versus 60,000–70,000 Aeroplan points), which can be lowered further with Promo Rewards.
However, you’d also have to factor in the 1:0.75 transfer ratio from Canadian American Express Membership Rewards, if that’s how you’re earning points, which brings the actual cost (66,667 MR points) more or less in line with what you can find through Aeroplan (60,000–70,000 points for most direct flights to Europe from North America).
Both programs utilize dynamic pricing, which can certainly be unpredictable and unfavourable; however, the fixed pricing structure and availability of award redemptions with partner airlines through Aeroplan is easier to predict and more bountiful than Flying Blue’s.
Therefore, we’ll give Aeroplan the slight edge in this measure, bearing in mind that this particular point of comparison is very dynamic .
4. Taxes and Fees
Aside from the cost in points or miles, another important aspect of a loyalty program is the costs you’ll incur in the form of taxes and fees on award bookings .
Aeroplan doesn’t pass along carrier-imposed or fuel surcharges on redemptions, and the amount of taxes and fees you pay is quite low, generally in the range of $50–200 (CAD), depending on your itinerary.
For bookings with partner airlines, Aeroplan imposes a $39 (CAD) partner booking fee. The remainder of the taxes and fees are the unavoidable government-imposed charges, such as security fees, immigration fees, tourism fees, and others, which you have to pay regardless of how you book your flights.
For the most part, you’ll pay the same amount of taxes and fees for an economy booking as you would for the same itinerary in premium economy or business class.
When it comes to Flying Blue redemptions, you’ll encounter a moderate amount of taxes and fees, which include carrier-imposed surcharges. Depending on your route and class of service, you can expect to pay $100–400 (CAD) for a one-way transatlantic reward booking.
This means that you’ll pay higher surcharges for a one-way direct flight in business class (~$375 CAD)…
Than you would in premium economy (~$150 CAD)…
Than you would in economy (~$100 CAD).
Verdict: On average, you’ll pay less out-of-pocket with an Aeroplan redemption than you would with a Flying Blue redemption. Therefore, we’ll give Aeroplan the edge when it comes to taxes and fees on redemptions, especially for bookings in premium cabins.
5. Partner Airlines
One of the most attractive features of a loyalty program is the number of partners it gives you access to.
Aside from Air Canada, Aeroplan points can be redeemed for flights with over 45 partner airlines. These include Star Alliance carriers such as Singapore Airlines, EVA Air, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, and United Airlines, as well as external partners such as Virgin Australia, Oman Air, Emirates, and more.
There are also some excellent redemption opportunities with Canadian regional partners , including Calm Air, Canadian North, and Air Creebec, amongst others.
Read More
Aeroplan's Domestic Partners: Canadian North, Calm Air, Air Creebec, and PAL Airlines
It’s worth noting that Aeroplan has been experiencing some ongoing issues with award availability on some partner airlines in the recent past. While this affects transpacific flights more than transatlantic flights, the full roster of partner airlines isn’t currently available, though we’re assured that Aeroplan is working on addressing the underlying issues.
As for Flying Blue, you’ll have access to SkyTeam-member airlines, including Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic, ITA Airways, and China Airlines, as well as other non-affiliated airlines, such as Etihad Airways.
Verdict: One of Aeroplan’s biggest strengths is the amount of partner airlines that you can redeem Aeroplan points with. With over 40 active partner airlines, we’ll once again have to side with Aeroplan.
However, it’s worth noting that Flying Blue has also been busy adding new partners in the recent past, and has also made First Class redemptions available with some.
Hopefully, both programs will continue to add more partners, giving members more flexibility for redemptions.
6. Program Sweet Spots
If you’d like to get the most out of your redemptions, then it’s important to familiarize yourself with a program’s sweet spots and the features that make it unique.
Read More
